


Sunburst

by Blueice1998



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Consort Kylo Ren, Emperor Hux, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-01 03:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6499207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueice1998/pseuds/Blueice1998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An attack on the Royal Family shatters the blissful existence Hux and Kylo have enjoyed since their rise to power.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What comes after

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers, thanks for reading my fic. It's unbeta-ed and I welcome all constructive criticism. I'm considering writing this one-shot into a multi-chapter when I have the time. You can read this as either past-mpreg or surrogacy/adoption, doesn't matter to me. Enjoy!

Emperor Brendol Hux II was not the type to rip his enemies limb from limb, despite the rumors that the planetary delegates spread. 

He was benevolent as far as Emperors went, he listened to his advisors and delegates no matter how infuriatingly ridiculous they were. 

He believed in humane capital punishment. The needle injection that simply put the prisoner in a permanent sleep. He gave his enemies dignity in death.

Dignity in death was a luxury few could afford before his coronation. 

However, today as of 1100 hours he began thinking murderous thoughts. 

“He’ll lose the limbs.” said Kylo Ren, wild black curls breaking free of there braids. Kylo’s voice was barely a whisper, Hux had to strain to hear.

“Then he’ll receive the finest prosthetics in the Empire.”

“That’s not the point Hux!” Kylo’s face contorted in rage as he gripped the boy’s hand, good hand in his own. “He’s only eight!”

“Our son will have his revenge.” Hux said sternly, a calm shield to Kylo’s anger. “You’ve always been able to sense my emotions unconscious. Do not let him feel your rage through the force!”

“Are you not angered by what they’ve done?” Kylo screamed, turning to face Hux. 

Hux was sure if not for the medication coursing through the boy’s system, Ren would have woken him. 

“The resistance will pay.” He replied, hurling his anger and sorrow into Kylo’s mind. How dare Ren think he felt nothing? 

Ren blinked, tears beginning to fall before he broke eye contact turning his face away in shame for even considering Hux’s indifference. Ren let out a sob, placing his free hand over his mouth as he felt Hux’s despair intertwined with his own, increasing by the second. 

Hux stopped projecting, he knew his consort could take no more. 

Darion Brendol Hux, lay prone connected to more IV’s than Hux had to heart to count. His short firely orange hair was skewed every which way and his forehead bandaged tightly over the bruises he had received in his fall to unconsciousness. His right arm has bandaged thickly and strapped down to his chest tightly. His left leg was dressed in a similar fashion lying limply on top of the sheets, his knee turned awkwardly in an unnatural position. The blaster wounds were deep. Ren might be right about the boy’s injured appendages. 

What concerned Hux the most was not the wounds, no matter how grave, but the expression of fear stretched over Darion’s face even in his unconsciousness. A primal fear for his life that would not fade with time.

He would never be the same. 

“How?” Kylo asked, his erratic breathing barely under control “HOW?”

Hux had asked that of himself many times over “We’ve been betrayed.” 

Kylo’s hand balled into a fist. “There were no flight alerts of an illegal craft flying through palace air space. No comms from the guards in the garden. No flags on the motion sensors...” He whispered harshly before trailing off

“They have people on the inside.” Hux said stiffly.

“But-- a child. Oh, how the resistance loved to chant it’s morals.” Kylo spat. 

Hux didn’t allow his mind to wander the Jedi temple massacre, Kylo had killed the other children then, solidifying a place at the side of the Supreme Leader as his apprentice. The resistance had be livid at the injustice. No matter what you are not to harm children. 

What would they say now? 

“I suppose General Organa really is no longer in charge of the resistance tactical forces.”

“FN-2187” Kylo whispered, he’d never forget that designation. 

“The new general has hardened in way's his predecessor never did.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“He’s got an army. An army in this very palace.”

“I’ll kill them too.”

“We don’t know the expanse of their network.” Hux said “We don’t know who’s with us and against us.” 

“I should’ve been able to tell the difference!” Kylo cried out, more teardrops rolled down the consort’s puffy cheeks, down the old battle scar and pooled at his chin. “I’ve become so weak.” 

It was true that Ren had stopped scanning intrusively into the minds of everyone he encountered a few years into their union. With Snoke gone and the resistance mostly dormant it had been a sign of trust in Hux and comfort in their new status. But for Ren to use that as an excuse to blame himself for this attack, this attack that Hux himself had also not foreseen-- 

Unacceptable 

Hux grabbed Kylo’s hands forcing his consort to turn his full body toward him. “This is not your fault. We were both blinded by our arrogance after all these years.” Hux said reaching a hand up to stroke Kylo’s cheek, thumb rubbing soothing circles over the scarred flesh “The blame lies with the resistance.”

“I could have meditated. Had a vision. Anything.”

“You do meditate, everyday.”

“I could have meditated harder.”

“Ren, please--”

“It no longer safe here.” Kylo said suddenly. It was a statement, but the eyes that stared back at Hux sought confirmation.

“No, it’s not.”

Kylo leaned his head against Hux’s shoulder, an affectionate gesture often performed in front of others with a private meaning. Kylo wanted to discuss in confidence. Their force bond began to flare from it’s small corner in Hux’s mind, growing until it expanded over every part of it.

_“What should we do?”_

Hux paused to think letting multiple thoughts run through his head before forming a sentence in reply _“We must secure Darion.”_

_“Of course.”_

_“We cannot stay in the palace until it is free of the resistance.”_

_“And Darion-- he’ll be afraid to be here, when he wakes. The memories.” Kylo said softly. A flash of dark purple flickered through the bond, the fresh wave of sadness and anger washed through Hux._ The Emperor felt his throat tighten.

_“That too.”_

_“When do we leave? Now?” Kylo sounded anxious._

_“No.” A blinding canary yellow filtered over Hux’s eyes, confusion._

_“I think we have work to do first.” His sight remained veiled in yellow, questioning._

Hux didn’t answer, instead he let a vision travel through the bond to his consort. He pictured some possible assailants attacking their son in the garden that morning. 

_Dark red eclipsed his vision._ He was upsetting Ren. Still he pressed forward letting his thoughts unfold. 

He showed the cowards running away, fleeing to their ship and running to the hanger to hijack the elite TIE fighters meant to defend the royal family. 

Then he showed some of the attackers staying behind, resuming their palace duties as normal, the illusion of ignorance. Pretending that nothing had happened at all, waiting for the dust to settle and plotting for the next time they were ordered to attack. 

He pictured the carnage their bodies would make throughout the wings of the palace, the cascade of blood as the two of them together defended their child and home from the infiltrators.

_Sunset orange bled into the red of Hux’s vision, Ren approved._

_“Then we will go somewhere for Darion to recover in safety.” Hux finished with words._

_Flecks of dark blue shone in the corner of Hux’s vision. The thought of Darion’s state causing Ren the beginnings of more distress._

_Hux sent back a pale olive green in response. The color of Darion’s nursery, the color of strength._

_Ren had told him so when as they were deciding on a color for the baby’s room. Hux had told him the color was too far removed from the Imperial colors, but Kylo had insisted. Hux only hoped the color and the meaning behind it helped Ren now._

_The blue dots receded, it had._

_“If we go find the traitors who will look after Darion?” Ren asked. A picture of their general and captain of the royal police appeared to him. Phasma._

_“Contact her through the force.” Hux command. She had been loyal to him since his first days in the Order, if anyone could be trusted with their son, it was her._

_“I will”_

The bond shrunk back to normal, no longer completely clouding Hux’s mind and vision. Ren’s eyes were closed as he focused in on Phasma and after a few moments they opened. 

“She’s coming.” 

Hux made a sound of approval, his body turned away from Kylo. Toward the painting resting at the back of their shared closet, visible through the glass doors. A portrait from their wedding day hung there away from most of the prying eyes of others, away from the great hall. It had been painted from a photo of the two of them standing side by side that day, arms resting on the small of each other's backs. 

Hux was in a black and grey uniform, multiple medals shown proudly on his chest, a red sash around his waist and a golden aiguillette draped intricately over his shoulder. 

Kylo only on the older hand, wore flowing red and black robes that draped over his broad shoulders and cinched at the waist with a wide grey belt before falling to the floor. His face was painted with gold cheek dots, eye shadow and lipstick to match the accents of Hux’s uniform. Kylo was is rare form that day, he disliked having to sit through servants doing his makeup. 

But, the beauty of that day didn’t matter, what mattered was what lied behind the portrait. The safe. 

The place where Kylo’s lightsaber and Hux’s sniper kit were stored. The place where those weapons went after Darion was born. They had been placed there since things seemed safe and secure. The couple had thought they weren’t needed anymore.

It appeared the weapons had been placed in there safe to soon. 

Kylo followed his gaze laying eyes on the portrait before getting up and walking over to the closet doors. Pulling them open he walked into the large room, Hux following behind. Kylo took down the painting setting it carefully against the wall below the safe. Hux moved forward to punch in the 15 digit-passcode, but it took Kylo using the force to move the reinforced steel door aside. 

The hilt of the crossguard saber flew into Kylo’s hand and Hux reached into the safe to grab his rifle and ammo box. The safe door slamming behind him, he placed the painting back over the wall. 

As Hux drew the closet doors closed, Phasma walked into the room. Her head wasn’t held high as usual, instead she glanced mournfully toward Darion, eyes downcast. 

“He won’t die.” Kylo said frowning. He’d read her mind, offended by what he’d found “Don’t think that again, _General_.” 

“I apologize Lord Ren.” Phasma said surprised. Hux wondered when was it the last time Kylo had known her thoughts. How long ago?

“Ren” Hux called, distracting his consort from Phasma “Will you be able to tell the difference between our subordinates and the resistance scum?”

Kylo nodded “I’ve already found three in need dispatching in the left servants wing.” 

Phasma made a puzzled expression, Hux touched her elbow guiding her over the chairs beside Darion’s bed where he and Kylo had been keeping vigil over him.

“You don’t understand what we’re doing.” He said “But right now I don’t need you to know that. I need you to protect our son.” 

“With my life, Emperor.”

Hux nodded before turning to his consort. “Are you ready, Ren?”

Ren was kneeling on the other side of the bed close to Darion’s face, eyes shining. He gave the boy a gentle kiss on the cheek.

_“Don’t worry my little sunburst. We’re going to get your revenge.”_


	2. Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, decided to make this a multi-chapter fic instead of a collection of one-shots. Hope you like where I'm taking this!

An inhuman wail ripped through the air as a lightsaber jabbed and twisted between ribs.

_One_

A heavy thump echoed through the dining hall as a bullet tore through a brain.

_Two_

A head rolled away from it’s cauterized neck.

_Three_

Thoughts of panic from all sides were filling Kylo’s head and they worked through the palace. 

_“W-what’s going on?”_  
“The consort lightsaber’s ignited!”   
“There’s dead servants in the left wing!” 

Kylo ignored the startled streams of consciousness, honing in on the treacherous thoughts. 

_“What are those freaks doing now?”_  
“Squadron 6th is dead. Who’s taking us out?”  
“Oh, Kriff! They know! They Know!” 

There was a time when killing like this would make his Emperor’s arousal brush against their bond. The sight of seeing Kylo undone, filled with blinding fury. It was enough to make cream colored dots sweep into the corner of Kylo’s vision. 

This was too personal for pleasure. 

Their son marred. The Emperor’s name defiled. 

The palace, cleansed. Their son’s honor defended. 

The large pristine white halls of the residence sharply contrasted the red lagoons spotting the floor. The orderly flow of palace life destroyed by the bodies who littered its grounds. The silent betrayers now filled with screams. 

“That was more than expected,” Hux said scanning over the great hall. His uniform once a pure white stained harshly by drying blood. The sight of Hux in such a state under different circumstances would have sent Kylo into a frenzy. “No more threats?”

“No”

“Nearly 50 rebels.” 

“Traitors,” Kylo corrected, “They weren’t ordinary rebels.”

“No, they weren’t.”

“What do we do with them?” Kylo asked, eyes scanning quickly over the carnage. 

“I won’t have my subjects finding out about this.”

“It’s justified.”

“I’m not Snoke-- I won’t use massacres as symbols of strength.”

“Maybe you should,” Kylo said. 

He crouched down to rip a necklace from one of the bodies. It’s gold chain shimmered brightly in the afternoon light. The pendant, nothing more than a small circle of gold with no jewels or embellishment of any kind. It was small and unassuming, fitting for a low-born servant. Kylo turned it over in palm before lifting the underside of the pendant closer for Hux to see.

Hosnian Prime  
My home, my heart.

“It was him,” Kylo said, gritting his teeth. “He was their commander, he passed along the order to attack our son from FN-2187.”

“His last thought was _I told General Finn not to attack the kid. I told him not the put my soldiers at risk._ ” Kylo spat.

Hux cursed, “Why didn’t you tell me! He should have died slowly-- painfully under both our hands!”

“He died painfully! As you can see his body’s no longer recognizable,” Kylo said harshly. His fingers closed around the pendant tightly trying to crush the metal under his hand. “But, it doesn’t end with him. It ends when every Hosnian in this galaxy is dead.” 

“And they will be.” 

“Which is why we need to rally the troops now!” Kylo yells, eyes filling with a familiar moisture. “Tell the home worlds what’s happened and get them angry enough to fight! We’ll crush the resistance and the Hosnians within the year!”

“We won’t be able to rally any troops with word of an attack on the heart of the Empire. It won’t bring unity, only chaos,” Hux said firmly.

“They need know they can’t get away with this.”

“They need to be wiped from existence,” Hux corrected, “But, we need order for the sake our subjects. I can’t have people thinking we’re vulnerable, never.”

“Besides,” he continued, stepping close to Kylo. “I don’t know about you. But, I’d much prefer to sink as low as FN-2187 and slowly slash his entire organization-- his entire life to pieces. I want him to never see us coming.”

“Then we’ll finish off the Hosnians?”

“Every last one.”

“I trust you,” Kylo said, closing the subject.

“My skull collection has just expanded exponentially. I’m not going to deny myself the reward of burning the headless bodies of the resistance.” 

Kylo looked at him in surprise, “You’d put them in the ash pit?”

“I hate that disgusting thing,” Hux said. “But anyone who harms Darion is our absolute enemy and deserve to be treated as such.”

Kylo nodded in agreement and began to walk down the hall. The bottom of his robes sagged against the ground, heavy with blood as he dragged the fabric through the coagulated pools. 

He turned as if just realizing what Hux said, “It brings luck.”

“It gets dust everywhere.”

“The altar contains the ash.”

Hux heaved a sigh, “Let's go check on Darion.”

“What do you think I’m walking away to do?”

Together they walked back to their suite. Surviving servants were still tucked away in fear. The usual hum of palace life turned to dead silence as they walked through the walls. Kylo’s robes smeared the blood of the enemy over the tile as he walked. 

Hux stood in front of the scanner as it flashed a beam of red light over his face, recognizing his key features. Satisfied by what it found, the machine unlocked the door, sliding it open for them. 

When they stepped inside things were as they had left them. Darion still laid on the bed pale and unconscious. Phasma sat beside him with a hand carding through the boy’s hair gently. She kept her face carefully blank as she looked at the blood covered Emperor and consort.

“Killed the spies the resistance planted,” Hux said, answering the unspoken question.

“I thought I heard screams.”

“Any changes?” Kylo said gesturing toward Darion.

“No, he’s been like this the whole time.” Phasma said, “What will you do now?” 

“Leave,” Hux said simply as he placed his gun and what was left of his ammo at the foot of the bed, it mattered little now.

“I’ll have a shuttle prepared by whoever’s left,” Phasma said getting up from her chair. 

“Make it a small cargo grade with medical support. We don’t want attention,” Hux said 

Phasma nodded before leaving the room.

Kylo took her place beside Darion, “Where will we go?”

“We can decide after I take care of this,” Hux replied, grabbing his data pad from the bedside table. 

He quickly placed his finger of the devices scanner before he began typing furiously with one hand. He rescanned multiple times to enter higher levels of authorisation on the small device. 

“The Empire's press and this palace are now under code 10,” Hux said, not looking up.

“The highest freedom of speech restriction.”

“Yes,” Hux said, “I can’t have anyone spreading this incident.”

“How do we keep the servant from talking?”

“They’re placed under Phasma’s control. If someone says anything she’ll find out and she knows what to do with them.”

“And the press?”

“Remember the Crimson review?”

“Yes, I remember that First Order relic,” Kylo said darkly. “Posted recordings from a private asteroid mining deal in quadrant two of the outer rim.”

Hux hummed in confirmation, “We lost an iron ore productivity increase of 18%. After, I expressly decreed major Empire business transactions only be reported after official statement allowed investigation and publishing.”

“The Chief executive officer is doing slave labor on ice plant,” Kylo said. He allowed himself a small grin. “Serves him right for thinking he was above his Emperor.”

“Last, I heard he made ice sculptures with his bare hands to sell on the home worlds.”

Kylo chuckled softly, “He’s dead by now.”

“Just like all his informants.”

“No one wants to follow that example.”

Kylo’s expression sobered as he looked back at Darion. He looked over the boy’s weakened state with a disheartened expression, “We need to find somewhere safe for him.”

Hux nodded, before sitting down beside Kylo. He placed an arm around the consort, “There’s always Arkanis.”

“Your parents hate me.”

“You’ve only met them once, years ago Ren.”

“Which is why I don’t go with you and Darion to go visit them.”

“We’ve all changed with time, even them.”

“I doubt it.”

Hux sighed, “It’s not like we have to live with them.”

“We’ll have to stay at a manor on the other side of the planet.”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

“I’m being the bigger person so that I don’t get in a fight with 90 year olds,” Kylo huffed.

“I’ll need to be near a larger city if I’m going to run the Empire from afar.”

“What’s the point of running if we get spotted?”

“Arkanis Inverta is military,” Hux said. “It has miles of barren land and plasma shields around the perimeter to deflect a blast radius.”

“You really love to be paranoid back home don’t you?”

Hux’s lips twitched, “No one get’s in or out the city without going through the proper clearance channels. All I have to do is place an area restriction on our residence outside the city and no one’s allowed entry.”

“No, your parents live in the capital,” Kylo said turning toward him. “We’ll just have to go somewhere else.”

“The resistance has no hold in the Arkanis sector,” Hux replied. “FN-2187 wouldn’t risk attacking it. Isn’t our son’s safety the more important right now?”

Kylo made a guilty expression before turning away and muttering, “I don’t want to go visit with them.”

Hux sighed again, “We won’t, Ren.”

At 0100 hours the shuttle completed preparation. It took longer with most of the servants in the hanger missing or dead.

Four servants came in and lifted Darion from the bed careful not to disturb his wounds any further. He was placed on a small portal bed with a thin sheet draped over his chest. The servants grabbed the medical equipment connected to Darion. They pulled along his IV’s and pain pumps as they walked swiftly through the halls. 

Outside the suite others worked to scrub the blood from the white surfaces of the palace. The bodies had all moved to the freezers, left in a safe place before processing would begin to harvest their skulls. 

The group exited out through a large door in the west wing of the palace. They walked briefly under the moonlit sky. Crossing under the steel hood of the hangar and entered the darkness of the building. The bright fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling off. They didn’t falter in the darkness. navigating the turns and corridors until they saw the soft pulse of light from a cargo ship on the eighteenth launch pad. 

Kylo turned as Darion got pushed up the ramp into the brightly lit ship. He kneeled down in the storage unit pushing to his bags aside to make room for more Darion’s things. He’d spent most the afternoon packing. He wasn’t sure when they’d go home. But, he was sure he wouldn’t allow it to be until every ounce of the resistance and its Hosnian allies was gone. However long that would take.

He got up to walk over to Darion as the servants secured his bed to the portal medbay. The bay meant for wounded crew members in the event of an attack. An attack on whatever precious cargo was making it’s way to or away from the palace. It felt wrong to have his son there now. 

“General” Hux called, from the top of the ramp.

She materialized at the foot of the ramp, posture stiff, “Your highness.”

“I’ll need you to guard this palace while we’re gone.”

“Yes, Emperor.”

“No one comes to this palace.”

“Yes, Emperor.”

“I don’t care it their reporters or pompous delegates who can’t take no for an answer.”

“Of course.”

“When they ask why I’m not giving audiences tell them they have no right to ask.”

“Yes, Emperor.”

“Darion will miss his godmother horribly. Don’t be scowling like that when he gets back, _Captain_.”

“Yes, Emperor,” Phasma said lips curling upwards.

After she gave her salute Hux closed the ramp of the ship. He walked over to the cockpit and began their ascent. The servants had completed the preflight checks. The overhead roof of the building was open. 

“Shame you never learned to fly, even with Han Solo for a father,” Hux said once they were comfortable enough out of orbit to turn on the auto controls.

“When I didn’t take to it naturally he gave up,” Kylo said differently.

“That’s an idiotic way to teach.”

“What can you expect from a smuggler who couldn’t do anything else?”

“Well, I suppose it’s good I took flight classes at the academy then,” Hux said. He pulled Kylo close to him before pushing the other man toward the co-pilot's seat. “I’ll teach you.”

“Expected you to fly at least ten times more recklessly,” Hux said. He turned away from Kylo as he lowered the ship into the hangar attached to the manor outside Arkanis Inverta.

“Try not underestimating me next time, Hux,” Kylo said. He stole a glance behind them, toward the medbay. “I would never risk Darion.” 

“Of course,” Hux said joking tone fading as he followed Kylo’s gaze.

The servants of the manor arrived. They opened the storage unit, lifted the luggage onto dollies and pushed it into the large home. 

Kylo and Hux followed behind Darion’s bed as he got pushed down the ramp.

“Ya know, I almost forgot about the rain here,” Kylo said. He stripped off a gloved hand to hold his palm up to the sky. Raindrops splashed on to it covering his skin in the cool liquid. 

“That’s what Darion loves the most about visiting.” 

“The eternal good weather of the palace can get boring.”

“You can hardly blame the planet for stable weather.”

“But I can blame those binary suns for making the day way too long.”

Hux grinned, “You won’t have to worry about that here,” Hux pointed up at the grey clouds. “We can go weeks without the sun.”

“I remember from last time,” Kylo said taking the lead behind Darion. He walked ahead of Hux briefly.

“Your limping.”

Kylo paused for a moment, distinctly aware of his own hobbling, “I’m a little stiff.”

“You over exerted yourself again.”

“What else was I going to do? Allow the traitors to live?” Kylo asked, voice rising defensively.

“How about not inflaming your scar tissue?” 

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You causing yourself unnecessary pain matters to me,” Hux said. 

Within two steps he caught up to Kylo. Looping his arm around the taller man’s middle he pulled him close and forced Kylo to lean some of his weight on him.

Kylo made in irritated look before trying to push Hux away from his injured side. As much as he hated to admit it the bowcaster wound from the day the Starkiller exploded permanently damaged him. He found when he strained in fighting or training the hip joint began to tighten up becoming stiff. It grew difficult to move the entire limb.

Hux gave a crossed expression, causing Kylo to still himself. Hux had noticed the change in Kylo immediately after he returned from his final training with Snoke. This new weakness that forced him to focus on improving his once brutal technique into something more refined, more warrior like. He couldn’t win with his endurance any longer.

Hux heard a whisper through their bond as they entered the house. Kylo finally broke away from his touch. Following the servants to where they’re bags had moved.

_“Thank you”_

Kylo was ashamed of the strange new frailty of his body. Hux a man who had never been known for his physical strength didn’t understand the sentiment completely. But he did understand protection. He would be there to protect his husband from others ready to exploit his weaknesses. 

If only he had been able to protect their son.

“Has everything from the ship entered the manor?” Hux asked one of the servants. 

The small man startled before speaking, “Yes, Emperor. We’re just unpacking your family’s thing now.”

“Won’t be necessary. I want all servants that aren’t trained with a specialization in medicine relieved of their duties to this manor until I see fit to reinstate them.”

The servant’s face scrunched, but he didn’t say anything. The servants from former Order planet's always knew better. 

“Tell the others now.”

“Yes, Emperor,” the servant whispered before moving to get out of Hux’s presence. 

Within minutes, the manor emptied of all but 4 servants. Kylo raised an eyebrow as he saw men and women exiting through the side doors of the manor. 

“Aren’t you being a tad dramatic. You're the one that told me about the undying loyalty of Arkanis servants.”

“We don’t need anyone who isn’t necessary. Besides, I create my best battle strategies with few other around.”

“I won’t have you locked in a room for days on end again,” Kylo said, “We need you.”

“5 days in isolation gave us the plan we needed to kill Snoke.”

“General FN-2187 is not a centuries old supreme leader. Him and his resistance are child’s play for you.”

“It’s not creating an effective plan to destroy them-- that’s easy. It’s making it in a way that gives the proper punishment.” 

Kylo smiled, “You're being difficult, Hux.”

“Thorough.”

“Isn’t this supposed to be working!” Kylo screamed, before cringing at himself. Darion would certainly feel that. 

He watched the servants change Darion's bandages yet again. Heavy Bacta bandages snaked around the boy’s arm and leg. The healing properties of the liquid meant to restore the blaster wounds to smooth flesh. The servants pulled away the bandages only to watch the raw skin underneath crack and bleed. It’d been a week, the bacta had more than enough time to activate. 

“You hardly believe in the regenerative properties of bacta, Ren,” Hux said. Attempting to squash down his own worry. 

“I never claimed not to believe in it.”

“That so?”

“I may not use it. But, I’m not going to deny treatment for Darion based on my beliefs.”

Hux gazed at the wounds covering Darion. They weren't festering, just unchanging, painfully not healing. Hux took off a carefully sculpted white leather glove and placed a hand on the boy’s head. He only needed to rest his fingers no Darion’s clammy skin for a second before pulling away. 

“I’m going to call a doctor from the capital,” Hux said. “These servants clearly can’t handle this.”

Kylo put his cheek to Darion’s, eager to feel what had made Hux so urgent “He feels like a furnace.”

“He’s got an infection.”

“We’ve moved across planets-- it would have happened anywhere.”

Hux nodded solemnly, “And it’s preventing the bacta from healing the real injuries. It’s fighting the infection instead.”

“I hate _them_ for this.”

“They’ll hate themselves for it when we’re done with them,” Hux said. He left the room to activate the holovid.

“The blaster wounds require surgical fusion.”

“Then why hasn’t Darion been prepared for surgery,” Hux said turning the doctor. 

A tall lanky man flanked by two nurses, the best Arkanis Inverta had to offer. 

“The surgery can’t be done because of the stage 3 Seiliu bacteria infection. We’re going to administer antibiotics for a week. If that’s unsuccessful we’ll have to take more drastic measures.”

“What measures?” Hux said, frowning at the man, “Why wouldn’t antibiotics work?”

“Seiliu is a rapidly dividing pathogen that destroys muscle tissue. We might not have caught it in time. If not-” The man gave Kylo and Hux an uneasy look. “We’ll have to amputate the massive sights of infection. Then double the medication to save his quality of life.”

Kylo lets out a shaky breath, reaching up a hand to cover his eyes. Somehow he had known. 

“That’ll be all doctor,” Hux said eyes flicking to his consort. 

The doctor nodded moving quickly for the door. His nurses putting the heavy medical equipment back in its place.

“That can’t happen to Darion.”

“We might not have a choice,” Hux said as he grasped Kylo’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’d prefer a son with artificial limbs to a dead one, Ren.” 

Kylo flinched, “So would I,” he whispered.

“All we can do now is wait.”

“I can do more than that,” Kylo said. He gripped Darion’s hand once more, face filled with concentration.

Hux’s forehead creased with confusion. “I’m going to try and force heal him,” Kylo finished.

“Ren I don’t think-”

“-You can do it,” Kylo said sharply, eyes narrowing.

“No,” Hux said frowning at the consort, “You're more than capable. But, your force training trained you to be a warrior, not a healer.” 

“Snoke never taught force healing, but I’ve experienced it before.”

“Snoke’s healed you before?” 

“Not him-- Luke,” Kylo said looking away briefly, thoughts clouding. “Another student had split my thigh open with a practice saber.”

“He was able to seal the wound?”

Kylo nodded, “I had to rest, but the muscle and skin refused. He reached out using small tendrils of his force energy and mended it. I’m going to try the same with Darion.”

“Closed wounds might make the antibiotics work more effectively.”

“That’s what I hope,” Kylo said, closing his eyes. 

He began to focus on his breath as he dropped into a meditative state. He focused in syncing his breaths with Darion’s as drew out his force in small amounts. Taking small probes of energy to the source of Darion’s worse wounds. He focused on fusing the burned muscle back together. On removing the black liquid that swept from Darion’s wounds. The pain as he saw it in his mind’s eye threatening to drown the young boy in pain.

When he opened his eyes again, he hadn’t been able to close much of the leg wound he had been focusing most his attention on. The muscle barely connecting together at all. But as Kylo looked into Darion’s face he saw the boy’s previously contorted expression of extreme pain had softened. Kylo left out a breath.

It was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arkanis Inverta and Seiliu bacteria are made up terms by me. Wasn't sure if Arkanis had a known capital or is muscle eating bacteria already existed in the Starwars universe.


End file.
